i am a 60yo male wanting to get into kayak fishing. I like the looks of the Pro anglers and my problem is that I have a bad back that prevents me from bending at the waist at to steep angleI. I have tried several kayaks, sit in, sit on top and cannot sit in one for extended periods of time. The pro angler seems to have a seat that is higher than a normal seat in a kayak. I am wondering if this will relieve some stress on my back. I cannot sit leaning forward and need to lean as far back as possible.

I have built a 12' sit in wooden kayak of Spira design ( called the Huntington) and can sit in it for about an hour before my legs go numb. The problem with it is wide open and cannot launch it in the surf here on the coast of South Carolina with out swamping it.

And feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance from an ole fart that loves fishing and is looking for a different challenge.

I can tell you that your legs will get tired before your back, I am only 34 but years of aircraft maintence has given me a sore back and that has not been an issue at all, I have also witnessed 50 and 60 year old men 3 miles out in the Gulf on their Pro Anglers. Most dealerships let you try one out before you buy it.

Sorry that you are having back problems...The new Vantage seat looks like it has many setting adjustments, including better lumbar support than the older PAs, so I would suggest finding a Hobie dealer that will allow a test drive in one of their PAs. That way you can try different seat adjustment positions and mirage drive pedal positions to find which works best for you.

I also have a bad back and need to take care. I have found that the varied adjustments on the Vantage seat are great. The biggest thing I like is that I can change the seating to various positions during the day. In my Outback, it had one way to sit. When I would get out of it at the end of the day, my legs and back would be locked up. Now with the Vantage seat and the ability to stand in the PA 12, I feel great at the end of the day.

The Vantage seat definitely would be a good option. Along with the lumbar support you can put the seat way back plus the knees up for support. I'm big so when I tried it out I didn't want to just "whoomph" down on it and the height of the chair helped both up and down. You would probably want to look into the h-bar for assistance/control (less jerking) and a note that the armrests are lower than expected, they won't be that helpful getting up/down.

Another thought would be rigging up a head support like I've seen on the Native Watercrafts. I am betting it would help a lot even if you don't think it's necessary - it would be a bit of pressure off the neck on down - less stress if you are out for awhile. I am sure I've seen them on recumbent bikes too and that's your position if you want to lean back and paddle.

Good for napping too, I bet . I'll definitely be trying to jimmy one up if/when I get one.

I'm sure I saw a YouTube video on just the seat if you want to see the range before checking it out in real life.